Le Père Fouettard
by leafgreenflower
Summary: On the eve of December 6, St Nicholas brings small gifts to the good children. His assistant Le Père Fouettard brings something else to the bad ones. How did he become St Nick's assistant? As penance for kidnapping some rich boys on the way to school... Rated Kplus because some traditional fairy tales were meant to scare you silly by firelight. WRITTEN BEFORE SEASON 2
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's St Nicholas' Eve, my children are in bed pretending to go to sleep, their shoes are out waiting in front of the fireplace, and I'm seeing what I can write and edit in an hour and a half. If you're not familiar with the tradition, St Nicholas brings small gifts to children who've been good on December 6 in France and other Western Christian countries. In many of these countries, he has an assistant who helps bring something to the bad children. In France, that assistant is called Le Père Fouettard and there's a wonderfully gory tale about him that of course is in a traditional children's nursery song. My kids aren't old enough to hear that story yet without nightmares...**

Le Père Fouettard stalked the city. Stalked its streets with a bundle of wooden switches on his back and a glare on his face, to the half-terrified looks of small children and the amused looks of the adults with them. More than one parent murmured quietly to their child "I'm glad you've been good, my little one" as he passed, and savoured the tightening clasp of hands they got in return. Several looked for an accompanying figure of Saint Nicholas, but when they didn't find one simply shrugged and assumed he was on another street, another block, another elsewhere in the winter lights. No matter, terror and joy were equal contenders for the magic of the night. Their eyes drifted from Le Père Fouettard, yet another performer in the streetside panoply, drifting back to their feet, their shopping, their destination.

He liked it that way.

As he turned into a quieter street, eyes searching, always searching, a purple butterfly mask flitted across his face.

" _I thought surely Ladybug and Cat Noir would have been drawn to the reports of you by now."_

Le Père Fouettard laughed, an ugly, sinister sound. "Nobody sees me as real. As of any equal worth to them and their glitter. None of them know what true worth is."

" _I suppose this was to be expected."_ There was a pause. _"We still have an agreement though. You will have to draw them out."_

"They'll come. When I take my justice." He breathed harshly in anger, and then deep in satisfaction. Hawkmoth's mask disappeared, not hearing a muttered repeat of "They'll come".

* * *

Adrien restrained a huff of breath. He was over this shoot - but the shoot was finally over. No need to antagonise anyone by displaying impatience or regret. He probably wasn't the only Parisian developing a tight hold on the emotions they displayed in order to avoid aggravating others. But they were doing it to avoid trouble with Hawkmoth. He was doing it to avoid trouble with his father.

Maybe it would be easier if he thought of it as avoiding trouble with Hawkmoth.

He shrugged and put his jacket back on. No matter either way. The shoot was over, he had places to go, people to see... yeah. Right. As if. He thought for a moment about what it would be like to just head over to Nino's place and play games for an hour. If he were anyone else but Adrien Agreste. Outside the window of the warehouse where the sets were built in winter, he saw his limo waiting. Ready to whisk him home, away from the supposed dangers of the cold and dark. Or just from other people who had the temerity to exist in the same world as his father without being worthy. Like that old guy walking across the street, carrying... why on earth would anyone carry a bunch of sticks? Oh wait, St Nicholas' Eve. He was probably pretending to be Le Père Fouettard. Adrien suppressed a laugh this time instead of a huff. If they were in Germany, he could simply transform and run around pretending to be Krampus. He'd probably make a few people laugh, especially if he tried to _pun_ ish them. Who knows, maybe even Ladybug would play along with his antics. Sadly, black animal demons weren't France's thing. He'd have had the cat in the bag if they were.

His eyes flicked to a high window, looking easily opened but not within easy reach. For anyone not a superhero, that is. He could imagine the holiday vibe on the streets. He didn't have to go for long, but... he _did_ have to go. He glanced to check nobody was looking at him or for him right that second, then slipped behind an unused backdrop.

"Plagg! Claws out!"

The window was as easy to reach as he'd thought, slipping through the shadows at this end of the building. He climbed through it and down the wall, into an alley on the opposite side of the building to the main doors. Once in the alley, he released his transformation. Adrien was free to roam. For just a few minutes, before his bodyguard wondered why he hadn't got into the limo yet. Just long enough to go around the block and see the shop displays and the lit streets up close instead of through a car window. He stepped out of the alley and set off towards the next street over, passing by the old man he'd seen earlier. Just as he passed he felt a stinging crack across his back. He jumped around with near-cat reflexes – but too late. His mind began to go blank. The very last thought to cross it was "My Lady..."

* * *

Le Père Fouettard smiled in satisfaction and snapped his fingers in front of the boy's blank face, beckoning him to follow along. He knew who the boy was. Oh, he knew. A rich boy, who should have been in school today but wasn't. Who didn't even care to go to school as often as he should, but the school just nodded in understanding at his rich family's delinquence and ignored it. The boy had a place in a good school, a highly-regarded school, that could have gone to someone else's son, who'd have appreciated it so much more. Who'd have worked hard. Who deserved it, but was turned away. He stowed his magic switch back in the bundle and trudged to the hideaway he'd arranged, the boy following docilely.

The purple butterfly flickered across his face again. _"What are you doing?"_

Le Père Fouettard pushed the heavy door open and beckoned the boy inside.

"I'm doing what I've always done", he said. "Taking what should be mine. Sit there, you." He gestured the boy to a bench beside a large barrel. "I need three all up. Three rich, loaded brats." There was a gasp, more felt than heard through the purple mask. "Don't worry, Hawkmoth", he added almost kindly. "Ladybug and Chat Noir won't be able to stay away from my little project. They'll come. You'll have your miraculouses very soon. And I'll see my justice. Right here, in this barrel." He patted the boy on the shoulder. "Just wait here. I'll be back with a friend for you very soon."


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe Bourgeois, the darling of Paris, looked out unseeing over the city, hands gripping the railings tightly. It wasn't fair. It. WAS. NOT. FAIR.

Nathalie had called her earlier to see if she knew where Adrien was. She honestly hadn't known, though she made a private guess with herself that he'd just blown off his bodyguard for fun. She knew he didn't take his own safety seriously. Not like she did. Then a little later Nathalie had called her father. Who'd taken the news of an akumatised man kidnapping rich children very seriously, and locked her in her room. No amount of pleading could stop him treating her with cotton wool. And while Chloe _did_ take her safety seriously, she... she Just Hated It. Hated having to be the special one. No wait, she did kind of like that – who wouldn't – but she hated the walking on eggshells that came with it. No lapse allowed. Ever. Adrien understood that, her only friend who did. And he was kidnapped. She missed him so hard it burned.

It. WAS. NOT. FAIR.

A light purple butterfly fluttered down to the railings. She looked at it, surprised. It wasn't exactly the time of night for butterflies, and it didn't seem scared of her, but Hawkmoth's akumas were usually much darker. This one was barely darker than moonlight. Her misery wanted no company. Except Adrien's, because that would make this whole sorry thing all over. She reached out carefully to tap the butterfly with one long nail, intending to shoo it away. Instead, it absorbed into her fingernail.

" _Chloe. I am Hawkmoth. I feel the injustice burning in you. Your friend is taken, and maybe you will be too."_

"Not if Daddy has anything to say about it". The words came out clipped, angry. "Adrien's on his own, and I can't change that." And there it was, the honest feeling under the anger. A need, a desire, to somehow help him – and the impotence of being unable to do anything that could.

" _It's as if you think there is nobody more powerful in this city than your father"._ The voice almost purred with laughter. But there was something in it... Chloe stopped dead still. Years of absorbing political subtleties kicked in. While nobody remembered their conversations with Hawkmoth, her instincts insisted there was something... off about this.

"Wait. You could have taken me over by now. What's this really about?"

" _No matter how strong the light of injustice burns, I can't take anyone over until they accept my deal."_

"Like I would ever accept your deal". She knew that was wrong, she had accepted it once before. She still didn't know what that deal had been, though she had some guesses. But bluffing had always stood her in good stead. And... there was still something else up. She could smell it, like a shark can smell the tiniest hint of blood in the deep. There was a weakness in her opponent, and by all the gods she was going to hold fast until she saw where the crack was.

" _There's no time for this, child."_ Hawkmoth sounded impatient. Good. She could wait. _"We both want the same thing. Adrien freed."_

Wait, what? Usually the akumatised victims were shouting out for Ladybug and Cat Noir. What did Adrien have to do with this?

Not that it mattered. He had her attention now. "So what deal are you offering?"

" _I will give you the power to free Adrien. And in return, for me..."_

There was only a small pause, as if the person on the other end of the connection was having to make themselves say something they didn't normally.

" _You will free Adrien"._

Really, there was no choice. "I accept your deal, Hawkmoth. Now, how am I going to do anything about it from here? Do I get to fly?"

Hawkmoth sounded almost... tired. That was unexpected.

" _No. I can usually only make one akuma at once. The one that powers the man who took Adrien was not a strong one and he isn't constantly using the magic, so I've been able to hoard enough power to make a second – but your powers will be quite limited in comparison. You can go anywhere, through any door – they will open at your touch. That will get you out of here. I can't change your appearance... but that is to your advantage, my dear."_

Chloe nodded. It made sense. Searching the city for Adrien would take time – but the Darling of Paris was perfect bait. The kidnapper would take her right to him.

" _You need to hurry though. I can't control what people do with their powers once they get them. They're not puppets. And this one..."_

Chloe smirked. "Choose the wrong sucker, did you? My, even Hawkmoth can make mistakes."

" _Just... get on with it."_ Chloe frowned. She thought she'd caught the hint of... something like the tone in her father's voice when he locked her doors. A hint of all the bad things that could happen to a stolen child... and an unspoken "Please".

She shrugged it away, knowing that she'd likely not remember any of this later, and walked to her door. As promised, it opened at her touch.

* * *

Alya Cesaire startled at her phone's ring tone. "Chloe? What is Chloe ringing me for?"

Alya's best friend and current evening study buddy shrugged, "Maybe she wants you to update the Ladyblog faster?"

Alya put a finger to her lips to ask for quiet, then pressed "answer" and "speaker".

"Alya speaking."

"I need you to put an update on the Ladyblog. A message to Ladybug."

"To Ladybug?"

"Yeah. Adrien's been kidnapped. By someone akumatised."

Marinette smothered her panicked scream with a cushion.

"Nobody knows where he is. But I think I can find him."

"You... how?"

"He's kidnapping rich brats."

Alya and Marinette looked at each other for a puzzled moment, before the meaning of Chloe's words dawned on them.

"Chloe, no! What are you doing?"

The voice on the speaker was impatient. "Just hurry up and put up that message to Ladybug, ok? It's not like I have superpowers or anything." The call disconnected.

Alya dived for her laptop. Marinette grabbed her things, shoving them into her bag. "I'd better go home. Right away."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I haven't watched any of Season 2 yet, so this is only canon-compliant up to the end of Season 1 - sorry if it seems already outdated for those of you in countries that are already screening the show! Also, this was meant to be a one-shot but it's run away with me a bit. I'm hoping to get one or two chapters posted every day until it's done, which should only be a couple more days. For the record, Chloe wasn't supposed to be in it at all. She just insisted.**

 **Also: I do not own any of these characters standard disclaimer standard disclaimer. Except my OC, who appears to be owned by nearly half of Europe across the last few centuries.**

* * *

Ladybug swung as quickly as she could towards Le Grand Paris. If Chloe was on the street already, she'd need to get there quickly in order to follow her. As the yoyo string slid through her fingers again and again, she grumbled. It was so like Chloe to just assume Ladybug would show up to rescue her on command. A smaller voice inside, one that sounded a lot like Tikki, whispered "But she's not asking you for her own sake. She's leading you towards Adrien." Marinette couldn't argue that it wasn't a brave move.

As she neared the hotel, she scanned the streets. In this darkness and the golden-orange glow of the sodium street lamps, so many people looked like they were wearing Chloe's usual yellow jacket. Only one of them had that walk, however. The one that made it clear that she owned the world, that nobody else mattered, and that she couldn't be bothered looking up from her phone to tell them so. Ladybug shadowed her from along the rooftops, not making any move to draw her attention. Instead she watched the people around Chloe, looking for any hint that the kidnapper was nearby. Nobody stood out – but there were so many people out, so much bustle on the streets.

A limousine with the logo of Le Grand Paris pulled up beside Chloe. The driver got out, opened the door and insisted with waving arms that she get in. Ladybug watched her roll her eyes, climb into the back seat. The driver closed the door behind her, hard, and Ladybug could hear the car locks click into place. So much for using her as bait. She started to turn away, feeling panic rise – what should her next move be? - but stopped. Chloe was getting straight out the other door of the limo – the locked door. How... The blonde walked straight into and through the traffic on the busy street, waving off the horns that blasted at her with a "whatever" gesture. The driver started to get out of the car, but realised he couldn't catch up to her without abandoning the limo in the traffic. Chloe walked away in the opposite direction, on the other side of the street, while he and Ladybug stood there staring at the cars that blocked him from getting to her. Then Ladybug shook herself again, and followed.

Chloe stopped in front of a Saint Nicholas tableau, apparently taking a call on speaker. From the shadows around the tableau a dark-cloaked man with a bundle of sticks on his back crept towards her. Ladybug was amused – despite the stakes, watching Chloe about to get pranked by the display's resident Le Père Fouettard was a treat she'd remember for a long time.

Her attention all on her phone, Chloe never noticed Le Père Fouettard. He switched her on the back, just lightly. Ladybug waited for the indignant diva to turn on him and perform her usual dramatics.

She didn't, just stood there looking at her phone. That was weird.

He capered in front of her, pulling a face at her and at a small child who squealed and pointed at him. She still didn't respond.

He waved a hand in front of her face, and she put the phone away. Then he put the switch back in his bundle, and began to walk away. Chloe followed him. Ladybug caught a glimpse of the expression on the girl's face as she turned, and it was blank.

It had to be the kidnapper, using the magic of an akuma.

Ladybug followed them carefully from above, barely taking her eyes off them so that she didn't lose them amongst the crowds. Which is how she happened to catch a brief hint of a purple mask across Chloe's face. It flickered, and Chloe's face flickered back to life. Her eyes flicked up to the roofs, as if looking for Ladybug, and she raised her immaculate eyebrows. Then her face smoothed back into its blank expression as if nothing had changed.

Wait. _Chloe_ was akumatised?

Then how was the kidnapper working his magic?

And could she trust Chloe at all, knowing that she was under Hawkmoth's control?

Ladybug knew Chat Noir would simply follow along anyway, trusting on his abilities and instincts to leap away at the right moment. Speaking of which, she hoped that cat caught up with them soon, and _quietly_. Gabriel Agreste was averse to bad publicity so it was likely that Adrien's kidnapping hadn't made the commercial news yet. But Alya should have got it up on her blog. Hopefully he'd see it. Ladybug was more cautious than Chat was – or was it that she had a calmer, less impulsive head – but this time, her inner Marinette insisted, he was right. Following them was the only way to Adrien.

She leapt to the next rooftop as silently as she could, trying never to take her eyes off them for more than a second.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter is just an author note and not a full chapter. I'm having trouble getting the story to update and I just want to test this and see if I can get it working. I've put up four of what will probably be six chapters and I don't think anyone can see them! The next chapter will go up later today - in a few hours, if I can fit it in, and the last one then either tonight or tomorrow morning. I've set a limit for myself that each chapter is what I can do in an hour to an hour and a half, both writing and editing, and then it goes straight up on the site. So if you have comments about the writing, feel free to pass them on - I know there will be mistakes when I'm working this quickly! Thanks so much for any feedback you leave, I appreciate it.**


	5. Chapter 5

Le Père Fouettard led his new acquisition into his hideout. He was pleased to see that the boy was still sitting where he'd been left, waiting blank-faced by the large barrel. He'd realised after he'd left that if the spell wore off, the boy might try to get away. But it seemed to have lasted long enough. He gestured the girl to sit next to the boy, and she did so without any sign of recognition or thought. Good. He still needed one more child. Which meant one more trip out. If these two had not been only children he'd have caught enough by now. But then again, perhaps they'd be less the spoiled brats that they were. And knowing how _precious_ the little darlings were was going to make this _so_ much better.

He leant his bundle of sticks by the wall, and picked up the chains he'd bought along with the barrel. No sense in taking risks. He cuffed and chained the boy first, who took no notice of anything that happened to him. Then the girl. Except... for some reason, he couldn't make her lock hold. Every time he closed it, it sprung open again. It must have been poorly made. So he wrapped her with extra chain and hooked the lock in place behind her, hoping that if she did wake she wouldn't realise it wasn't locked. She took no notice as he passed the chain this way and that around her, and he smirked. She wouldn't wake. Not from Le Père Fouettard's switch. He left them like that, hoisted his bundle of sticks onto his back, gave a longing pat to the sharpened axe lying by the barrel. "Soon", he muttered to himself. He walked towards the door to go get his final victim. As he put his hand on the handle, the door burst inwards, knocking him backwards across the floor.

* * *

Ladybug watched as Le Père Fouettard led Chloe into an old building with covered windows. One window on the second storey wasn't fully covered. She threw her yoyo to the building's roof, and swung across to its wall, clinging to the carved facade by the window. Inside, there wasn't much light. One lamp that appeared to be on the floor somewhere, and that was it. Ladybug wished Chat Noir had caught up, she could really use his night vision right now. But she'd been sneaking across the rooftops so carefully perhaps he hadn't been able to track her. She flicked open her yoyo and tried calling him, but no answer. Oh, souffles. He wasn't transformed yet. She squinted in, trying to see what she could.

She could just make out Chloe sitting down on a bench, still blank-faced, next to... Adrien. Chloe hadn't lied about that, at least. Whatever Hawkmoth was making her do, she and Adrien were still at risk. Next to Adrien was... was that a _barrel_?

And an _axe?_

Oh no. Whoever this Le Père Fouettard was, he was taking the story a little too seriously for Ladybug's liking. This was so many kinds of NOT GOOD. She probably wasn't going to be able to wait for Chat Noir.

Below her, Le Père Fouettard was doing something at the bench. Metal glinted in the lamplight. Chains. For some reason, extra on Chloe. That was going to be awkward. But at least it meant he wasn't planning to put them in the barrel right that minute. Still, no time like the present. Le Père Fouettard was walking towards the door now. Ladybug reanchored her yoyo to the roof above her, took a deep breath, and kicked out from the building as hard as she could, letting the yoyo string out as she did so. Her body turned gracefully at the farthest point of the arc, and she swung back towards the door feet first with all the power of her fall.


	6. Chapter 6

Le Père Fouettard lunged up from the floor surprisingly fast for an old guy. He reached for one of the switches on his back. Ladybug gathered her feet back under her and leapt aside just as he got to her. She dived towards his side, hoping to grab the switch from his hand, but he spun towards her and she had to change direction mid-dive, skidding away again. This was going to be much harder without Chat Noir. _Where was that cat when you needed him?_

The old man laughed. "I need three children for my barrel. I was going to have to go out to get the third, but you seem young enough. So good of you to save me the trip."

Ladybug breathed in, hard. So there'd been time. She dodged Le Père Fouettard's switch again. But she'd made it worse by diving in. Now, all he had to do was touch her once and they would all die. Adrien would die. It would be her fault.

She shook her head. No time for this. She had to live. She dived for Le Père Fouettard's legs, and managed to knock him over, but he rolled and held the switch in the way before she could grab it from him. She had no breath to call a Lucky Charm, and couldn't risk the seconds it would take to call one. Not without her partner.

As the fight flew back and forth, Chloe wiggled her hands around behind her, pretence of a blank face forgotten. The extra chains were such an inconvenience. But Hawkmoth's powers had allowed her to wake almost immediately from Le Père Fouettard's spell, and now they were going to free her and Adrien. Just as soon as she could unhook that open padlock from where it held the chains together. It was probably only fifteen seconds, but it felt like fifteen minutes before the lock fell off, and the chains sagged against her. She wriggled free of the first loop and pulled her arms out, reaching straight over to touch Adrien's chains as well. His lock popped open immediately and the chains fell loose around him. She pulled the chains away from herself, wondering if the noise would distract Le Père Fouettard, but it didn't. She wondered, if Ladybug was touched by the switch, if her unlocking powers would let Chloe wake her up. On that thought she touched Adrien – but no. Nothing happened. They needed to get out of there, fast. She pulled the chains off Adrien, and, keeping a wary eye on the battle, tugged his hand to follow. There was only one door in Le Père Fouettard's hideout, and they were going to have to get around the fight to get to it.

Ladybug saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She dived away from it instinctively. This fight was getting too awkward on the ground. There was only one door, and not much light, but she knew there was space above. Without taking her eyes off Le Père Fouettard, she threw her yoyo up towards the window. It snagged on something, and she leapt into the swing.

As she swung towards him, feet first again, she saw what that movement had been. Chloe and Adrien were moving towards the door. _Akumatised_ Chloe. A quick glance and she saw their chains in piles where they'd been sitting. Had they been nothing but bait for her all along?

The moment of distraction cost her. Le Père Fouettard shouldered her swing aside and she fell, sliding across the floor until she lay against the barrel. That hurt. He came towards her, leering evilly. "Now be a good little girl, and take your switching like you should". She pushed herself backwards, up against the barrel, but there was nowhere to go. Her hands fell on something smooth. A handle? Heavy. She gripped it. As the switch came down towards her, she turned her face away from it, flinging her arms and whatever she was holding up in front of her to block the blow.

Le Père Fouettard's switch came down on the sharp blade of the axe. And cracked.

A deep purple butterfly fluttered out.

She pulled her yoyo back towards her, and caught the akuma as it began to fly back to its creator. "Time to de-evilise!"

The cleansed akuma took wing from the yoyo, and disappeared towards the roof.

Le Père Fouettard slumped down, dropping the piece of switch from his hand. Now he was a regular-looking Parisian, old, perhaps around her parents' age. The switch changed, becoming an old-fashioned school cane. Ladybug thought that perhaps she didn't need to mend it. There was a soft gasp. "Where am I?"

It wasn't Le Père Fouettard speaking. It was Adrien.

"You were kidnapped. By someone who turned you into a sleepwalker." Chloe's voice was surprisingly gentle. Even the "So of course I rescued my Adrikins" that followed had a little less attitude than usual.

Adrien's eyes raised to meet her. Then flew around the room, taking it all in. They landed on Ladybug lying half-stunned on the floor, still breathing hard.

"Well, she helped too", Chloe said almost dismissively. Almost.

The two of them ran over to help Ladybug back on her feet. Ladybug was still slightly shocked by the close call, enough so that she didn't realise straight away that it was Adrien helping her up. By the time she did, he was starting to sag in delayed shock himself, transfixed by the large barrel now in front of him. His eyes went from the barrel, to the axe Ladybug was holding, to the walls. Ladybug followed his gaze. From down here she could make out that they were lined with a stack of bags of salt. She reached out, and turned his face gently towards her, making eye contact _she would not think about it being her crush she would not._ "It's OK", she said. "We made it. You're safe." Chloe grabbed his arm back. "You're safe", she echoed. "Now let's get out of here." Adrien looked back and forth between the two of them, still a little confused and shocked, but he allowed them to lead him out of the hideout.


	7. Chapter 7

Ladybug, Adrien and Chloe stood there on the street, just looking at each other. Finally Chloe broke the silence. "We should call the police and tell them where to find the guy". Ladybug nodded. "I'll do that in just a minute. But first... what's your game in this?" It came out harsher than she intended, but she was angry. She'd almost died. Adrien had almost died. And Chloe was an akuma. Who had also almost died.

Chloe just smiled. "You needed bait to find Adrien. I volunteered." In a more typical tone of voice she added "You can show me your gratitude later".

The purple mask flickered over her face, and she said in annoyance "I know, I know". Then she looked at Adrien and added "OK, I had some help."

He took a step back, startled. "You're... akumatised. But you look the same."

"It was a small thing. None of the usual _drama_." The mask flickered. "Yes, I said drama. About you. Live with it." She refocused on the other two teens, who seemed stunned that she would talk to Hawkmoth like that, even knowing that she talked like that to everybody. "Just a small power – to unlock or open anything that was closed. No more. And nothing that anyone would notice. Including a kidnapper looking for a rich brat."

"So you've been under Hawkmoth's control all this time? Not that I'm complaining, but why would he want to free me?"

"No, and I don't know. He can't control anyone or what they do with the powers he gives them. I think what Le Père Fouettard was doing was too much even for him. And", she added wryly, "it was done so quietly only Ladybug showed up, and that because I sent her a message. Chat Noir doesn't seem to have heard about it at all. I can't imagine Hawkmoth was happy about not getting his whateverthingy that he keeps trying to get from them."

Ladybug spoke in surprise. "So volunteering yourself – that wasn't Hawkmoth? You did that?"

"Yes", the blonde girl admitted. "It was the best thing I could think of. What with all the attention I attract, of course. Nobody could steal _me_ away without anyone noticing." She tossed her hair at the idea.

"You'll be a hero, Chloe," Adrien said, with a genuine smile for his friend. Ladybug had to agree, credit where credit was due. But the girl blanched.

"No! You can't tell anyone about this!"

"Why not?" Adrien and Ladybug asked at the same moment, then glanced at each other.

"Well for starters, in a few minutes I won't remember any of it. But while I do remember, there's something I should tell you. Hawkmoth can only akumatise you if you accept his deal. If you reject it, he can't take you over."

Adrien was the first to realise what this meant. "So... if we tell everyone that you rescued me, sooner or later they'll realise it's because you made a deal with him."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Exactly. And you _know_ I can't have that in my reputation. Again."

Ladybug still looked puzzled, but Adrien completely understood.

"Can I ask what deal you did make with him?" he asked diffidently. "You haven't demanded Ladybug's miraculous once."

"He wanted you freed. I did too. That was our deal." She looked away at the night as she said it.

"Wanted him... freed?" Ladybug repeated, stunned.

Adrien hesitated, then closed the gap between him and Chloe, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Thank you", he said into her neck. "Thank you".

"So then..." Ladybug asked cautiously, "what about your akuma? Do you give it back to him? Do we take it from you?"

The blonde girl looked at her nails, almost contemplatively. "You don't need to worry about that", she said. "Does anyone have nail scissors?"

"You don't?" asked Ladybug. "I thought you always carried that sort of thing."

"I left them at home. I didn't want to risk anyone using them on me until I'd got Adrien freed."

Adrien shrugged. "I don't have any on me, either." He looked at Ladybug. "And you don't have pockets." Ladybug rolled her eyes, but nodded. "So where are we, exactly?" he asked.

A short walk later, they were back outside the warehouse holding the stage sets for the photoshoots. Chloe touched the door, and it opened. Ladybug went in first, and found something to hold the door open with so it didn't lock behind them. Then Adrien led them to the make-up room, and they hunted through racks of beauty equipment until they found a pair of nail scissors. Chloe took them from Ladybug's hands. "I'll do the honours," she said.

"You can remove the akuma yourself?"

"Of course, if I want to."

A purple mask flickered across her face, just for a moment, and they weren't sure who she spoke to next.

"Honestly, I'm grateful for this magic but I don't want to keep it. I know I'm in a bit of a gilded cage, but that's the price you pay for power. Escaping's your thing, Adrien. I don't need to get out of it."

Adrien was kind enough not to say that he could see she was lying.

Chloe took the scissors and set them to one long nail. "Thanks for coming when I asked, Ladybug". She gave a much softer smile than usual, then cut down.

Half of a fake nail fell to the floor, and a little butterfly fluttered out. It was nearly the colour of moonlight. Adrien's jaw dropped. Ladybug startled. There was nothing to purify.

Then a screech hit them like a sonic wall.

"WHAT AM I DOING?! WHAT'S HAPPENED TO MY NAIL?!"


	8. Chapter 8

Ladybug waited with the two of them for Adrien's limo to arrive. Police cars went past, she assumed on the way to the hideout. It gave her something to look at instead of how Chloe was hanging onto Adrien – and how he was letting her. The Darling of Paris didn't remember anything from when she was akumatised, but she definitely remembered why. Ladybug's inner Marinette wanted to scream and rip Adrien out of the girl's clinging grasp, but in all fairness she'd earnt the right to cling even if she didn't know it. If what she'd said earlier about Hawkmoth's deal was true, she'd been far more brave and selfless than Marinette had ever expected of her. And without her they might not have found Adrien in time. So instead of trying to separate them, Ladybug pulled out her yoyo. Mayor Bourgeois answered on the first ring, and insisted he'd have a car around to collect Chloe from Adrien's home immediately. When the limo arrived, Ladybug ushered her charges into the care of Adrien's scary bodyguard and bugged out.

* * *

A cookie, a panicked conversation with Tikki about how Adrien was never going to love anybody but Chloe ever again and a long drink of water later, Ladybug waited for Chat Noir on the rooftops. Patrol should have started a while ago, but she was late. Chat Noir must have started without her. She pulled out her yoyo and rang him. It took a lot longer than normal for him to answer, but he did.

"Hey, Bug?"

"Whereabouts are you? I was late to patrol and missed you."

"Uhhh... actually I'm not on patrol yet. I was late too. I'm just heading out now."

"I'm at the usual place. See you soon."

Chat Noir touched down as lightly as he could, one rooftop away. She sat with her back to him, watching the city lights. She was almost the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

The most beautiful was also her, just an hour earlier, looking into his eyes on a city street as his mind came back to him and he realised how close he'd come – _they'd_ come – to complete disaster.

He jumped the last rooftop and sat down beside her. Uncharacteristically, he couldn't think of anything to say. His two identities were all tangled up right now, and just a little scared.

Without looking at him, she said "Where were you?"

He paused. He wanted so much to tell her, to thank her, to ask her to hold him while he shook in delayed fear. But instead he took a breath and said "Civilian stuff. I almost couldn't come out tonight at all. I'm only here because I've convinced them that I take half an hour to have a shower."

"I thought I could count on you to be there."

Chat said nothing. There was nothing he could have said that didn't give away his identity.

"One of my friends almost died today." And in that, he heard how much _she_ was shaking, and just put his arms around her anyway. But wait... one of her friends? Who was she talking about? He couldn't know Ladybug in his civilian life, could he? Did he?

No. She had to be talking about Chloe. Because everyone knew who Chloe was.

Though she'd said "friend", and people didn't usually say that about Chloe.

So he said "You mean Chloe Bourgeois".

She drew in a half-breath, and for a moment he thought she was going to glare at him. But then she subsided, and looked back out at the lights. "..y..y..Yeah, Chloe. Definitely Chloe. How'd you know?"

"It was on the news just as I was coming out. It's why I came out". A lie, but she couldn't know that. He continued "I was worried about you. I never want you to fight alone if I can be there to fight with you."

"You weren't here before."

There was only one thing he could say to that.

"I'm here now".

She suddenly pulled away from his arms and gave him an almost teasing look. A challenging look. The look she'd give him sometimes before they raced across the rooftops. If there was a slight edge of aching fear still in it, he pretended he didn't notice. Better that than admit he saw it because he shared it.

"Good", she said. "Kitty, I have a barrel for you to touch." And she leapt off and away.

As Chat Noir leapt to follow, he laughed. It was perfect. "I'd love to."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Made it to the Epilogue! Thank you so much if you're reading this, I'm glad to have brought you an entire multi-chapter story. It's my first one, and I was deliberately writing and editing quickly so I'm sure there's mistakes and rough patches – thank you for sticking through it! Hopefully this uploads as an update so that you can see it – a lot of the chapters seemed to just kind of disappear. The story would show as "last update 22 hours ago" when I'd added a new chapter twice since then!**

 **Also, I've added a cover pic, but I lay no claim to the image. It comes from Chez de Rach's notes about St Nicholas and the children's song/story that gave rise to this fic. Go read them! (They're in French).**

 **Also also: in my region we call it soft drink. You might know it better as fizzy drink, pop or soda or something else. Sweet carbonated flavoured drink. I thought that was the most likely thing for a Moth to prefer to recharge with.**

* * *

A tall man stood, looking out a silvered window. Behind him on the table, a small cup of soft drink was disappearing rapidly in slurps.

"Thank you, Nooroo", he said.

Nooroo didn't answer straight away. He was exhausted. Even with a full recharge between, powering up a second akuma was _hard_. And he knew his master preferred silence. On both their parts. The _drama_ , as that girl had called it (and oh the look Nooroo'd felt on Hawkmoth's face when she said it, even knowing it was true!), the drama stayed outside this room. Always.

But... a thank you was out of the ordinary. It deserved a response.

He flew over and hovered above Hawkmoth's shoulder, looking out at the city. One long finger came up, and began to stroke the kwami. Nooroo settled into Hawkmoth's neck. "You're welcome", he said.

A plane lifted off from the airport in the far distance and they watched its lights disappear.

Nooroo sighed. "You are not the first Moth to have chosen the wrong person to grant magic to". Not even the first Moth to do so deliberately and repeatedly, but he wasn't going to volunteer that information now. This Hawkmoth had an acute sense of style, and would hate to be considered _unoriginal_. It might cause him to make more reckless decisions. And his discernment was surprisingly good – he'd been quite successful at picking amongst all the petty injustices people held in their hearts to find the ones that were dramatic enough without bringing the city's dark underbelly to the fore. Up until now, that is.

"This time was... not exactly a barrel of laughs", Hawkmoth admitted.

"Will you reconsider your plan now?" Nooroo asked.

"No".

They returned to their usual silence.


End file.
